Welcome to this month's coaching & sports section. This section has a large focus on "Issues in youth sport involvement." Many children engage in competitive sports during summer with camps and club activities. This meaningful engagement may lead to "Healthy and active life styles." However, there are serious issues during youth sport participation that involves children, parents, and coaches.

I would like to thank Tim Hamel, Ashley Matthews, and Trish Mello of California State University, Fresno, for their practical and informative article about "Critical themes in youth sport." The material in columns one and two of this section contains links to very good articles, added by the pelinks4u webmaster, Terri Covey.

I wish you a healthy and beautiful summer with plenty of physical activity and sport involvement.

Ferman Konukman
Coaching & Sports Editor

YOUTH SPORTS: IMPLEMENTING FINDINGS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH RESEARCH

abstract

This paper reviews the literature, outlines practical implications, and discusses future studies in youth sport research. The literature is discussed in light of three potential benefits of youth sport participation 1) physical health, 2) psycho-social development, and 3) motor skills acquisition. The ultimate objective of youth sport programs is to consider all the benefits of youth sport participation rather than focusing on one or two at the cost of the other(s).

It is suggested that researchers, sport administrators, coaches, and parents work together to promote sporting activities and programs that are more likely to enhance children's physical health, psychosocial development, and lifelong recreational or elite sport participation. Read this article.

PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN: PARENTAL INFLUENCES

The purpose of this Digest is to describe the various socialization factors that influence a child's interest and involvement in physical activity. Until recently, the most common factor was thought to be role modeling - children with active parents want to emulate those same behaviors. While role modeling probably exerts some effect, recent research suggests that the nature of parental influence may be much more complex.

For example, in one study, positive links were observed between parent and child activity levels, but direct support from significant others (parents, brothers and sisters, close friends) exerted a much greater influence on a child's activity behavior. Others argue that parental encouragement, support, and beliefs may be more powerful influences than role modeling. Read more.

ORGANIZED SPORTS FOR CHILDREN AND PREADOLESCENTS

abstract
Participation in organized sports provides an opportunity for young people to increase their physical activity and develop physical and social skills. However, when the demands and expectations of organized sports exceed the maturation and readiness of the participant, the positive aspects of participation can be negated.

The nature of parental or adult involvement can also influence the degree to which participation in organized sports is a positive experience for preadolescents. This updates a previous policy statement on athletics for preadolescents, and incorporates guidelines for sports participation for preschool children. Recommendations are offered on how pediatricians can help determine a child's readiness to participate, how risks can be minimized, and how child-oriented goals can be maximized. Read more.

PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS OF COACHES: CLOSING THE COMMUNICATION GAP

The purpose of this study was to determine parental preferences of coaches of their children, and additionally, have parents articulate how they measured those characteristics. A second goal was an informal comparison of parent values from previous work. If indeed parents prioritized coaching characteristics differently than ten years ago, coaches could use this information to improve an ever-evolving parent/coach relationship. Finally, these results could aid coach educators in their efforts to prepare future coaches to better communicate and maintain healthy relationships with parents. Find out more.

SPECIALIZATION IN SPORT:  HOW EARLY...HOW NECESSARY?

Sport specialization, or the exclusive participation in one sport by young athletes, is a controversial topic. With the stunning success of high profile athletes such as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, golfer Tiger Woods, and basketball's Michael Jordan, many feel that emulating the achievements of these athletes can only be achieved by early specialization in one sport.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sport specialization of male basketball players, and success at the varsity college level in nine, four-year colleges and universities that play basketball in the state of Montana. The results would assist in the determination of the efficacy of sport specialization for youth. Read more.

THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN OBESITY PREVENTION

Schools are unique in their ability to promote physical activity and increase energy expenditure - and thereby help reduce childhood obesity. A comprehensive school physical activity program should consist of PE, health education that includes information about physical activity, recess time for elementary school students, intramural sport programs and physical activity clubs, and interscholastic sports for high school students. Schools can also encourage brief bouts of physical activity during classroom time - as in the Michigan Department of Education's "Brain Breaks" program and the International Life Sciences Institute's "Take 10!"- and walking and bicycling to school. Read more.

THE NSDUH REPORT: YOUTH ACTIVITIES, SUBSTANCE USE, AND FAMILY INCOME

Based on SAMHSA's 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 92.4% of youths aged 12 to 17 participated in one or more school-based, community-based, church or faith-based, or other such activities during the past year: 27.1% participated in one to three activities, 31.4% participated in four to six activities, and 33.9% participated in seven or more activities in the past year.

Youth in families of lower income were more likely not to participate in any school-based, community-based, church or faith-based or related activities; however, regardless of family income those youth who did participate had lower rates of cigarette, alcohol, or illicit drug use than those who did not participate in such activities. The greater the number of activities, the lower the rates of past year use of cigarettes, alcohol, or illicit drugs among youth.

For example, the rates of illicit drug use were 18.3% for youth who participated in no such activities, 11.9% for those with 1-3 activities, 9.4% for 4-6 activities, and 6.8% for 7 or more youth activities in the past year.

Find out more.

PARENT, PEER, AND TV INFLUENCES IN TEEN ATHLETIC SHOE PURCHASING

abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate how socialization agents - parents, peers, and TV- influence teens' athletic shoes purchasing and influences differ according to teens demographic characteristics. Participants were 558 teens in a southeastern state. Overall, peers exert the greatest influence. The results by using multiple regression analyses suggested that socialization agents' influence differed according to teens' demographic characteristics. Family and consumer educators should consider findings of this study as a guide to give better education to teens as consumers. Find out more.

THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN PREVENTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY

National data indicate that 16 percent of children aged six to nineteen years are overweight. As children grow older, and as they focus less on family and more on school, peers, and different media - parental influence wanes. As adolescents, children spend increasingly more time away from home, become more exposed to environments that encourage obesity, and have greater choices in their own diet and physical activities. When children make critical decisions about nutrition and physical activity on their own, parents' roles become even more challenging. Nevertheless, parents and family members can still provide a healthful home nutrition and physical activity environment. Find out more.

MARKETS AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY POLICY

Several strands of research investigate how markets may contribute to increased calorie consumption, sedentary lifestyles, or overweight and how changes in those markets may have contributed to the recent rise in childhood overweight. The problem for researchers is not figuring out what could have caused the rise in childhood obesity; the problem is that too many things could have caused it. Find out more.

HOW NOT TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS

When we praise children for their intelligence we tell them that this is the name of the game: Look smart, don't risk making mistakes. Emphasizing effort gives a child a variable that they can control. They come to see themselves as in control of their success. Emphasizing natural intelligence takes it out of the child's control, and it provides no good recipe for responding to a failure.

Read this very good, in depth article on how NOT to talk to your kids.

SOCIAL INFLUENCES & MIDDLE CHILDHOOD -
This is a good article, so I thought I'd include it here. It is in regard to social influences, self-esteem, popularity, rejection, etc., during middle childhood. Well worth reading.

HOW DO FATHERS FIT IN?

There is a tendency today to speak of 'parents' or 'carers' rather than 'mothers' or 'fathers'. People often say that the most important thing in raising children is to give them lots of love, something that all parents can do, regardless of whether they are a mother or a father.

However, there are also many ways that mothers and fathers can bring unique strengths to their relationships with their children. In real people's lives, you can see these contributions, and they have been measured by social scientists. Fathers - just like mothers - always matter.

This is a very good, informative article, and well worth reading.

Tim Hamel, M. Sc., Ashley Matthews, B.S., Trish Mello, B.S.
California State University Fresno
Department of Kinesiology
E mail: thamel@csufresno.edu

There has been a tremendous amount of literature regarding youth sports over the last 15 years. Volumes of text books, a plethora of peer researched journal articles, numerous youth sport organizations with accompanying web-sites (Positive Coaching Alliance, Youth Sport Trust, the National Council of Youth Sport), and university based centers for studying all components related to youth sport (The Institute for the Study of Youth Sport at Michigan State University, and The Center for the Advancement of Responsible Youth Sport at California State University, Fullerton).

continued top of next column